track propick results

[Zandramas]

Hi!

As my favorite mod isn't supported anymore and might not work with future game versions I wonder: how do you keep track of your propick results and (even more difficult) your propick history?

I can mark a good find on the map but how do I know where I have already checked? 

[Silent Shadow]

I usually start by doing some pretty spaced out samples until I find the ore I want. The propick only samples the local block so I usually do a grid survey once I get to the main ore body.

All my propick samples are recorded on the map according to the ore and concentration. I usually shorten it to the metal's chemical symbol and concentration, so a Hematite ore concentration of 0.56 and a Galena ore with a minuscule concentration would be listed as Fe.56 Pb(m). Purple is a good color for the map marker dots since it is quick to type and it is visible in all weather conditions.

[Streetwind]

In lieu of a mod like VSProspectorInfo, there's basically three approaches you can take.

One: don't track your results at all. When you need a specific ore, go out and look for that specific ore, and forget everything else - other than perhaps a general "there be iron in them there hills" marker so your future iron-finding endeavours will have a generic starting point. Because you're not spending time on marking and tracking, this lets you find that specific ore faster than by any other method. Downside is that you have only minimal data to use when you need a different ore next. Still, it's a valid approach, particularly in singleplayer.

Two: Make a map marker in every spot your prospect, with a small note on what you found. Not only will you see where you have searched before, but you'll also be able to remind yourself what you found there. Downside is, this will slow you down significantly while prospecting, and blanket your map in markers.

Three: track your results in an external app, for example a spreadsheet. This will take even more effort than making map markers, but it will keep your map clean in return. Also, doing it this way allows you to leverage that external app for things like results filtering and advanced data visualization. This is something you might do if you're really into prospecting, or if you're on a multiplayer server and you're the go-to person for finding ores among your group of friends.

Regardless of which approach you take, however, the quality of your results and your rate of success in finding ores will suffer greatly if you don't have a structured approach. If you run willy-nilly across the landscape taking random samples here and there, you won't don't have to bother tracking data because it'll be largely meaningless even if you do. And you'll forget where you have already looked because you have no system. I recommend thinking good and hard what you're doing before you think about your results.

Personal experience and some trial and error over multiple worlds have led me to the following system: I prospect only locations which are divisible by 40 in both x and z coordinates. And I'll walk 160 blocks in one cardinal direction between each attempt. This results in a large, sparse grid that covers a lot of ground quickly, and lends itself well to data analysis. When I get interesting readings, I will halve the distance to 80 blocks to narrow it down, and then halve it again to 40 blocks to nail down the local maximum.

You can, of course, come up with your own system. The point is simply to have a system.

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Streetwind

[Zandramas]

Thanks for you answers. I think, I will use option two with only comment the good findings and mark rest just as "no".

For now the mod is still working but I hope there will be some improvements about this in the game as none of the options is really good for the gameplay, I think.